


Dust

by JoAsakura



Series: Dust and Dreaming [4]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-07
Updated: 2012-02-07
Packaged: 2017-10-30 18:44:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/334894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Varric doesn't say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dust

When Varric describes the explosion of the Chantry later on to the Seeker, he lets his words linger on the terrifying majesty of the explosion - It becomes an abstract, a metaphor for everything that has happened. He owes it to Hawke to make it good. 

But in reality, it was nothing like that. there was arguing and shouting and Hawke was in the middle of it as always, dark circles under his eyes as he tried to talk both Meredith and Orsino down. And then Anders.. with Justice half-in the drivers seat and a frightening light in his eyes that even later, was unclear to Varric if it were fade spirit or human dedication gone to it's logical, horrifying extreme.

Confusion, more shouting, then...there was the explosion. It happened so fast that no one in Kirkwall would ever be able to describe it better than "it felt as if the earth were breaking". A blinding fireball, then the air filled with choking dust and ash as they were all knocked off their feet by the sweep of a careless giant's hand. In the aftermath, an entire section of Hightown reduced to rubble, walls and windows shattered as far as the docks.

And in the burning wreckage, Hawke shielding Anders as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Varric was grateful, almost, for the ringing in his ears, because out of the corner of his eye, the former Prince of Starkhaven was losing his shit entirely. Sebastian's screaming would have only been a distraction to the dwarf as he watched the short, silent exchange between Anders and Hawke, as the latter slowly sat back on his heels.

(Are you ok?) The tenderness in Hawke's eyes said at first as he gently helped Anders to sitting. Hawke was a kind man, but the number of people the Champion showed those soft eyes to could be counted on one hand.

(Hawke.) Anders mouthed, and there was a look on the Mage's face that Varric would never be able to describe. There were no flowery words that would encompass something that seemed to be made up of a unrepentant defiance mingled with the horrible understanding of the reality of his actions.

And then Hawke knew. He knew what the drakestone was for, what the sela petrae was for, and Varric swore he could see Hawke's heart breaking in front of them all. It was so visible that even for a moment, Sebastian was silenced.

No. The seeker would never know of that moment, the Champion as lost, frightened child who knelt in destruction while what was left of his heart crumbled to dust.


End file.
